A-Zbuka: A is the song "Angie" by the Rolling Stones. Magazine for the intellectual elite of society Covers of "Paint it, Black"
The song "Paint it, Black" is one of the most famous creations of The Rolling Stones. Perhaps, in popularity, it is second only to another hit of the team - « » .
Despite more than half a century of history, The Rolling Stones song “Paint it, Black” is a “must have” in the playlists for several generations of rock and roll fans and self-respecting rock radio stations. Possessing some kind of mystical appeal, she does not get bored even after thousands of auditions.
The history of the creation of the song "Paint it, Black"
The release date of "Paint it, Black" (translation of the song - "Paint it black") as a single fell on "damn Friday" - May 13, 1966 (in the UK, and in the USA - May 7).
It is believed that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are behind its creation, for the most part. But it wouldn't have been that delectable hit without Brian Jones' original riff and Bill Wyman's bottom-line work.
It was originally planned that the composition would be more rhythmic, rough and funky. But in the end, it was decided to replace the usual guitar with an Indian sitar, which the band brought from Fiji. And according to Richards, that's what made the whole song.
Later, music critics put forward versions that The Rolling Stones in "Paint it, Black" copied The Beatles, who used the sitar in the song "Norwegian Wood" (Jones was familiar with the Beatle who was fond of this instrument - George Harrison). But they might as well criticize the band for playing the guitar, drums, or any other musical instrument that someone else has played before.
In addition, although the official version claims that the Indian instrument appeared in the band’s repertoire under the influence of the Beatles, in an interview with Mick Jagger there is a mention of a “freaky” playing the sitar in some kind of jazz band, whom the Rolling Stones met in the studio during the recording of “Paint it, Black”. They allegedly liked the unusual muffled sound of the sitar so much that they decided to make it the "basis" of a future hit.
In general, it doesn't matter how exactly, but it happened, and the right instrument was definitely chosen - with an ordinary guitar, this song would hardly have become so memorable.
Another experiment was carried out by Bill Wyman, who wanted to set off the soft sound of the sitar with deeper lows. But since it was impossible to achieve the desired effect with a bass guitar, Bill sat down at the electric organ. Rather lie down. He sprawled on the floor and beat on the pedals with his fists.
In contrast to the musical component, on which almost all members of The Rolling Stones worked, the lyrics of "Paint it, Black" were composed by Mick Jagger from the first to the last word.
Secrets hidden behind the "red door"
As is usually the case with most classic rock hits, the song has no particular meaning. The text of “Paint it, Black” is simple: the guy has lost his beloved, he can’t bear the colorful life raging around him, and he wants everything around to become as black and dreary as his attitude.
But the fans could not put up with such minimalism. And came up with several alternative interpretations.
In an attempt to attribute a special meaning to the text "Paint it, Black", the Rolling Stones fans seized on almost the only metaphor - the "red door". And they rushed to invent what kind of allegory is hidden here. She was taken to the door to a brothel, the entrance to the Catholic Church, and was even associated with the color of the flag of the Soviet Union.
And in the 80s, the film Full Metal Jacket and the TV series Lifetime gave new reasons to attribute a non-existent meaning to the lyrics of the song "Paint it, Black" - they began to correlate it with the Vietnam War.
Although in fairness it’s still worth mentioning that the participants in the Vietnamese armed conflict noted that The Rolling Stones’ hit “Paint it, Black” really meant a lot to them - it conveyed the general mood that reigned in the ranks of the American army and fit perfectly into the environment.
Also adding to the confusion was a mistake by the Decca record label. He released a single with a mistake - he put a comma before the word "black". The latest version of the translation "Paint it, Black" ("Paint it, black") sparkled with new colors. She began to attribute a racist meaning.
But Mick Jagger stubbornly denied all speculation. According to him, the music and lyrics of "Paint it, Black" were written in an atmosphere of goofing off. For them, this song was a kind of comedy track.
But the most interesting thing is that after the recording, the musicians got the feeling that the song was not written by them. Familiar games played a couple of thousand times in three days became strangers.
“Sometimes you feel like you didn’t write them. Song Paintit, Black" is a bit off the beaten path. Where it came from, I don't know.", Keith Richards admitted.
"Modest" successes "Paint it, Black"
This song became the title track in the album "Aftermath" (1966) and immediately conquered the English-language charts - it settled on the first positions in Billboard and the UK Chart.
The composition also took the leading places in the charts of Canada, as well as the Dutch Top 40. It is noteworthy that the latter again placed the single on the first line after almost 25 years - in 1990.
In 2004, the music magazine of the same name named the song number 174 on its list of the 500 Greatest Rock Hits. Later, the track lost some “position” and dropped to 176th place.
Covers of "Paint it, Black"
It will be hard to find another song with as many covers as "Paint it, Black" by The Rolling Stones. Over the past half century, hundreds of artists have recorded (and still do) their versions of this track. In their own way, the song was performed by musicians of all stripes - from solo singers to heavy metal bands, in different languages of the world.
The most "exotic" versions of the song came from Frenchwoman Marie Laforêt and Italian Caterina Caselli, who performed it in their native languages. Both covers followed the original in 1966. But they are perceived as completely different songs: each cover was written for a specific stage and to the tastes of local listeners.
A year later, The Animals, who were already known to the whole world, thanks to their version of the song, picked up the trend to cover the hit "Rolling Stones". Eric Burdon first released the track on The Animals' collaborative album Winds of Change, and later on The Black-Man's Burdon, a joint album with the funk band War.
The hit also "leaked" into the elite ranks of blues and jazzmen. Chris Farlowe performed "Paint it, Black" with his characteristic "screaming" vocals, diluting the melody with bowed instruments accompaniment.
After remaking the song, the masters of instrumental music “rushed in”. Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà, Johnny Harris and the London Symphony Orchestra presented their fantasies.
Heavy versions of the song are also available. For example, performed by The Agony Scene and Ministry, who released covers in rather peculiar arrangements. The first team made the song more rhythmic, doubling the tempo of the melody and at the same time adding rumbling drums and growls. And Ministry diluted the even build of chords with a long guitar solo.
The tendency to rehash this hit by The Rolling Stones was also adopted in Russia. The Nautilus Pompilus group in the 90s liked to close concerts with a cover of this particular song - Butusov managed to perform it very similarly and at the same time in his own way, which is why many liked his version even more than the original.
Also noteworthy are covers performed by Rage, Zdob si Zdub, W.A.S.P, the German version by Karel Gott and the Ukrainian version by the Stone Guest band.
"Paint It Black" as OST
As for the use of "Paint it, Black" by The Rolling Stones in movies/TV shows/games, the list is pretty long too. Here are just a few of the most famous ones:
- Movies - The Devil's Advocate, Echoes, Full Metal Jacket, For the Love of the Game, in the trailer for The Mummy (2017).
- Series - "My Name is Earl", "Parts of the Body", "Westworld".
- Games - Twisted Metal: Black, Conflict: Vietnam, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Mafia III, in the Call of Duty: Black Ops III trailer.
Last updated: August 9th, 2017 by rock star
It has become an adornment not only of the Goats Head Soup album, but of the entire work of the legendary British band. For almost forty years now, fans have been speculating who is the very Angie to whom the composition is dedicated. The history of the song Angie remains unclear because the accounts of people who were directly or indirectly related to its recording differ.
To begin with, Angie was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in late 1972. This is a lyrical song about ending love. The name is known to have been suggested by Richards. Shortly before that, he had a daughter, who was named Angie. Of course, it would be ridiculous to think that Keith could dedicate a ballad on such a subject to a tiny daughter. But it is clear that this name was then constantly spinning in his head, so he could well use it in the lyrics of the song.
On the other hand, in English slang, the word “angie” refers to various hard drugs. In his autobiography, Keith wrote that what he meant was to say goodbye to heroin. Allegedly, he came up with the name of the song in Switzerland, where he was trying to get rid of addiction.
Many believe that the song Angie is dedicated to the first wife of David Bowie, whose name is Angela. She talked about finding Jagger and her husband naked in bed. This gave grounds for gossip to claim that Mick dedicated the song to her, trying to appease and convince her not to make the episode public. But if Richards decided to use Angie's name, it doesn't look like the truth.
In addition, versions are known according to which Angie sings about actress Angie Dickinson or even designer Andy Warhol. But then decide for yourself how they can correspond to reality.
Most likely, the heroine of the song did not have a real prototype, or this is a secret that the authors are not going to reveal. Keith Richards' explanations about parting with drugs look far-fetched. It is possible that with their help he was trying to remove unpleasant suspicions from Mick Jagger. And is it really that important? A little mystery never hurt a single song.
The single Angie soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 immediately upon release. It peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in Australia and Canada for five weeks.
- In 2005, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany used the song Angie during the election campaign of Ms. Angela Merkel. What is interesting, without knowing. A representative of the group later said that they were surprised by this fact, and stressed that they would not have given permission.
- German terrorist Hans-Joachim Klein took the pseudonym "Angie" in honor of the Rolling Stones song.
Angie Lyrics
Angie, Angie, when will those clouds all disappear?
But Angie, Angie, they can't say we never tried
Angie, you're beautiful, but ain't it time we said goodbye?
Angie, I still love you, remember all those nights we cried?
All the dreams we held so close seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear:
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?
Oh, Angie, don't you weep, all your kisses still taste sweet
I hate that sadness in your eyes
But Angie, Angie, ain't it time we said goodbye?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
But Angie, I still love you, baby
Everywhere I look I see your eyes
There ain't a woman that comes close to you
Come on baby, dry your eyes
But Angie, Angie, ain't it good to be alive?
Angie, Angie, they can't say we never tried
Angie Lyrics
Angie, Angie, when will all these clouds clear?
Angie, Angie, where does this take us?
When there is no love left in our souls, and money in our pockets,
But, Angie, Angie, you can't say we didn't try.
Angie, you are so beautiful, but isn't it time for us to break up?
Angie, I still love you, remember all those nights we moaned?
All our dreams that seemed so close have vanished like smoke
Let me whisper in your ear
"Oh Angie, where will this take us?"
Oh Angie don't cry, all your kisses are still so sweet
The sadness in your eyes is killing me
But, Angie, Angie, isn't it time for us to part?
When there is no love left in our souls, and money in our pockets
You can't say we're happy with life
But Angie I still love you baby
Everywhere I look I see your eyes
There is no woman in the world closer to me than you.
Come on baby dry your eyes
But, Angie, Angie, is it bad to be alive?
Angie, Angie, you can't say we didn't try
Song quote
People started saying the song was about David Bowie's wife, but it was actually Keith who came up with the title. He said, "Angie," and I thought it had to do with his daughter. Her name is Angela. And then I just wrote everything else.
(Equirhythmic translation) gently, gently
from troubles, my angel, I'll take
where is, where is
a gap among the clouds, adversity and storms?
love dried up in the souls
Walls of wallets stuck together
here is our sad outcome
but Angie, Angie -
a fabulous mirage collapsed!
Angie you are beautiful
but the hour of parting has struck
in your tender love
I drowned in sweet nights
we were crammed with dreams
but vanished like smoke
and I whisper after you
Angie, where are you?
amid the clouds, adversity and storms, a light?
don't cry my dear friend
I remember the taste of these lips
and eye shine - so do not be sad
but Angie - before
than we part - I'm sorry
love blossomed in the souls
the bottom of the wallets shines
here is our deplorable result
but your gentle angelic look
everywhere shines for me like a mirage
and no one compares to you
miracle you! - so the tears away
but Angie, Angie
how can we help ourselves?
gently as before
just a little love to help! ..
But, Angie, Angie,
we were looking for this paradise!
Angie my angel
couldn't say goodbye!
Angie, I still love
remembering our nights.
All the dreams that we dreamed
smoke rose to the clouds ...
But I whisper to you in silence:
"Angie, Angie,
bad days will pass us by?
Oh Angie don't cry
your kiss is the entrance to our paradise,
Though there is sadness in your eyes
But, Angie, Angie,
we can't say goodbye
We don't have love in our hearts
there is no heaven in a hut.
Tell me, where is this paradise?
But Angie baby
because I love
Wherever I am -
you in the eyes
There is no better woman
Give me a hug, you're in tears.
But, Angie, Angie,
this paradise is not available ...
Angie, Angie
Let's say now... "Farewell!"
Remained our nights, cries of passion
So maybe the dreams will come back?
The blue sky will return without clouds and clouds
And a pink dawn over the ocean
We can wander with you through the morning mists
Together, in an embrace, remembering and forgiving.
What, Angie, shall we wait until they come back to us again?
Dreams vanished like smoke
Like morning mist under the bright sun
But the nights are still with me, whispering "Bye" then "Wait"
What, Angie, to look for a new love, because the old one no longer warms the blood?
Do not cry, do not be afraid, my angel,
It's so hard for me to see your sadness
I didn't mean to offend you, but I'll still say: "I'm sorry"
Oh Angie, I don't know myself what tomorrow will prepare for us
"Time Z" No. 1/2012. "Let's paint the refrigerator black ..." - that's how we joked at one time over the darkest song of the ROLLING STONES under the eloquent title "Paint it black." It is interesting that the ROLLINGS themselves recorded this composition in an atmosphere of fooling around and improvising.History of some hits
ROLLING STONES.
Part 2:
"Paint It Black", "Mother's Little Helper", "Lady Jane" (1966);
"Ruby Tuesday", "She's a Rainbow" (1967); "Angie" (1973).
"Paint It Black" (1966)
"Let's paint the fridge black..."- that's how we joked at one time over the gloomiest song of the ROLLING STONES under the eloquent title "Paint it black." It is interesting that the ROLLINGS themselves recorded this composition in an atmosphere of fooling around and improvising.
According to the original idea, "Paint It Black" was supposed to sound funky, that is, very rhythmic. But it so happened that bassist Bill Wyman felt that his part lacked "fat" bottoms. Then he went up to the organ and began to put pressure on the pedals.
Under these organ passages, drummer Chali Watts began to beat a direct beat rhythm, and the process, as they say, began. The final and decisive touch was added by Brian Jones, playing a solo on an Indian sitar, recently brought by the group from Fiji. This exotic instrument, tested back by the Beatles in the song "Norwegian Wood", gave, according to Richards, the very "zest" that made the song unforgettable.
In response to accusations that the use of the sitar was an imitation of the Beatles, Brian Jones indignantly replied: "What nonsense! You might as well say that we imitate all other bands because we play guitars."
As a result, instead of "funk" at the output, the group received something unusual, where a mournful oriental verse exploded into a hard rocker chorus.
Color it black
I see a red door and I want it to be painted black.
No other colors, I want them to turn black.
I see girls walking around in their summer dresses.
I see a row of cars, and they are all painted black.
Flowers and my love that will never return.
I see people turn and quickly look away
Like the birth of a newborn, it happens every day.
I look inside and see that my heart is black.
I see my red door, which I just have to paint black.
Maybe then I'll disappear and not have to face the facts.
It's not easy to accept when your whole world is black.
Never again will my sea waves turn dark blue.
I couldn't imagine that this would happen to you.
If I look hard enough at the setting sun,
My love will laugh with me until morning.
I see a red door and I want it to be painted black
No other colors, I want them to turn black
I see girls walking in their summer dresses
I have to turn away until the blackening in my eyes passes.
Mmm, mmm, mmm
I want to see it painted, painted black
black as night, black as coal
I want to see the sun washed out of the sky
I want to see it painted, painted, painted
painted black
Released in May 1965, the single with the song became #1 in Britain and the US and probably the band's second most famous song after "Satisfaction". The publication was not without incidents, because on the covers of the first edition of Decca, a comma suddenly appeared in the title - "Paint It, Black" ("Paint it, black") - which immediately aroused suspicion of racism among the progressive public.
The same cover with a comma.
Soviet record with the songs "Paint It Black" and "As Tears Go By".
"She's a Rainbow" (1967)
Lennon once presumptuously said: "Whatever we do, the STONES repeat in four months." No matter how offended the group is, there is a certain amount of truth in this. The 1967 album "Their Satanic Majesties Request" was largely influenced by the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper" and parodied it in many ways (just compare covers alone).
The idea to record a "psychedelic" album caused skepticism and rejection in part of the group. Jones generally predicted his failure.
But that was not the case - "Their Satanic Majesties Request" became "gold" even before the release and took (taking into account the Beatles) worthy places in the charts (No. 3 in Britain and No. 2 in the USA).
The album's most famous song was the romantic "She's a Rainbow" ("She's like a Rainbow"). She opened the second side of the album and began with bizarre sounds and market shouts - "We sell fish in Billingsgate, vegetables in Soho!", Followed by a catchy piano introduction, and then all sorts of violins and celestas.
She is a rainbow
She brushes her hair
she is like a rainbow
Combing colors in the air
She appears everywhere in multicolor
She brushes her hair
she is like a rainbow
Combing colors in the air
Oh, everywhere she appears in multicolor
Have you seen her dressed in blue?
Imagine that right in front of you is the sky
And her face is like a sail
Like a white cloud, so pure and clear
She appears everywhere in multicolor
She brushes her hair
she is like a rainbow
Combing colors in the air
Oh, everywhere she appears in multicolor
Have you seen her all in gold?
Like a queen in the old days
She scatters her colors everywhere
Like the sun at sunset
Have you seen anyone more magical?
She appears everywhere in multicolor
She brushes her hair
she is like a rainbow
Combing colors in the air
Oh, everywhere she appears in multicolor
She's like a rainbow
Combing colors in the air
Oh, everywhere she appears in multicolor.
It's funny that the lyrics of the chorus are almost verbatim copied from the song of the psychedelic band LOVE "She Comes in Colors", which also touched on the color theme.
The theme of "She" s a Rainbow "and its catchy motif made the song quite popular in advertising. So in 1999 she sounded in an Apple iMac commercial, and in 2007 she already advertised a Sony LCD panel<>. But here it is still more appropriate than “Satisfaction”, which sounded in an advertisement for Snickers bars.<>.
"Angie" (1973)
In conclusion, you have to break the concept of the article and jump straight into 1973. And all because you can't write about everything, and our people know and love the ballad "Angie" more than any "Satisfaction". At one time, she was also appreciated - it was with her that the ROLLINGS again won the top of the American single-top for the first time in 5 years.
As usual, Richards came up with the chord progression and the word "Angie", while Jagger added the rest of the lyrics and added strings to the music. By the way, I still often confuse the introduction to the song "Angie" with the introduction to the song "Hotel California".
The most ridiculous assumptions were made about who Angie was, up to the fact that this is David Bowie's wife, Angela. In fact, this name popped up for Richards in connection with another Angela.
Angie
Angie, Angie
When will all these clouds break?
Angie, Angie
where will this take us?
Without love in our soul
and without money in our pockets
But Angie, Angie,
can't say we never tried
Angie, you are beautiful
But haven't we already said goodbye?
Angie, I still love you
Do you remember how we cried at night?
All our secret dreams
seems to have vanished like smoke
Let me whisper in your ear
Angie, Angie
where will this take us?
Oh Angie, don't cry
your kisses are still just as sweet
I hate this sadness in your eyes
But Angie, Angie,
Haven't we already said goodbye?
Without love in our soul
and without money in our pockets
Don't say we like it
But Angie, I still love you baby
Wherever I look, I see your eyes
There is no woman in the world who can compare with you
Come on baby dry your tears
But Angie, Angie,
Isn't it bad to just be alive?
Angie, Angie
no one will say that we never tried.
Keith Richards and Anita Palenberg had a daughter, Angela, in 1972.
Nevertheless, it was to the sounds of "Angie" in 1998 that Richards led his daughter to the wedding altar.
Keith Richards at daughter Angela's wedding.
And in 2005, the song was completely used in the election campaign of the future German chancellor - Angela Merkel.
So oblivion of the ROLLING STONES does not threaten soon, given that the oldies are still afloat, and the MAROON 5 song "Moves Like Jagger" is constantly played on TV.
A
Sometimes, the more you know about a song, the less you like it. You think that the author of the ballad completely identifies it with your situation, and then you find out that most musicians are just terrible sex maniacs and boring bores at the same time. With that in mind, we begin to sort out the stories and rumors of songwriting.
"Angie"
With the possible exception of "Wild Horses", there is no Rolling Stones ballad more beloved than "Angie". The mournful lyrics speak clearly of the sadness of lost love, which is strange to hear from a guy who tends to sing songs like "Under My Thumb", whose lyrics suggest a dynamic relationship between a groupie and a sex slave.
Lou Reed, Mick Jagger and David Bowie at the Royale Cafe in London, 1973
Like any cult phenomenon, the song "Angie" is accompanied by all sorts of different rumors, conjectures and legends. There are quite a few versions about who this very Angie is. One of the assumptions is based on rumors about a secret affair between Mick Jagger and Angela Bowie, David Bowie's first wife. Others claim that the song is dedicated to David Bowie himself, since the same Angela once stated in one of the television talk shows that she caught Jagger and Bowie during a homosexual relationship, of course, that both musicians deny this. According to rumors, Jagger wrote the song to calm her down, but it was Jagger's bandmate Keith Richards who wrote most of the song.
Jagger once spoke about this: “People started saying that the song was written about David Bowie's wife, but the truth is that Keith wrote the title. He said "Angie", and I think it referred to his daughter. Her name is Angela. Then I just added the rest of the text."
There has also been speculation that Richards' girlfriend Anita Pallenberg inspired the song, but Keith dispelled that notion in his 2010 autobiography, where he wrote: "While I was in the clinic (March-April 1972), Anita was pregnant with our daughter Angela. When I was recovering, I had a guitar and wrote "Angie" in the afternoon sitting in bed because I could finally move my fingers and I didn't feel like I had to sit on the bed or climb walls or feel crazy anymore... It's not about any special person; it was a name like "ohhh, Diana". I didn't know that Angela was going to be called Angela when I wrote "Angie".
In English slang, the word "angie" refers to various drugs, and it can be assumed that Keith wrote "Angie", meaning it was farewell to heroin. Although it is more likely that Keith simply wanted to remove unpleasant suspicions from Jagger.
In addition, versions are known according to which Angie is about actress Angie Dickinson or even designer Andy Warhol.
In 2005, the song "Angie" was used in the election campaign of the current German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
When listening to the original version of the song, you can pay attention to the fact that traces of the pilot track with Mick Jagger's working vocals can be distinguished on the recording. He did this so that the musicians would be guided when working on their instrumental parts. This pilot track was then removed, and the final version of the voice parts was recorded over the instruments. But, apparently, when recording one of the instruments, the sound of the working vocals crawled into the microphones, and therefore, on the final version of the textbook recording, the loudest cries of Mick Jagger from his “working take” are heard. In rock music, this effect is called "ghost vocals".
Text: Kristina Papyan
